In the mountains of northern Almería, near the village of Vélez-Blanco, the Cueva de los Letreros holds a small painted figure that has become the symbol of the province: the Indalo, a human figure holding an arc over its head, which locals paint on houses as a good luck charm. The rock shelters around Vélez-Blanco, including the one known as Tello I or Cama del Pastor, the shepherd's bed, are part of the Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin listing, with paintings ranging from Levantine scenes to schematic signs. The landscape is dry and rugged, with the limestone mass of the Sierra de María rising above.
Vélez-Blanco itself is a white town below a magnificent Renaissance castle, built in the early sixteenth century by the Marquis of Los Vélez. The castle's marble patio was sold in the early twentieth century and now stands in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, a fact the town has never quite forgiven. The Sierra de María, a natural park, is covered in pine forests and home to wildlife, including ibex and birds of prey.
The roads here are a pleasure for riders, winding through mountains and valleys with little traffic. The road from Vélez-Rubio through Vélez-Blanco to María and on into the Sierra de María is a classic, with climbs, curves and views, and the roads towards Granada and Murcia offer more of the same. Surfaces are generally good, and the dry climate means good riding conditions most of the year, though summer can be very hot.
Vélez-Rubio, twenty-two kilometres off, is the place for petrol, and Vélez-Blanco has bars and restaurants serving local dishes, including migas and lamb. The castle can be visited, and the interpretation centre in the village explains the rock art and organises visits to the Cueva de los Letreros. Look for the Indalo painted on houses and sold as souvenirs throughout the province. The Sierra de María natural park has a visitor centre and walking trails, and the pine forests are a cool refuge on a hot summer day.